February 13, 2018 – The Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art at James Madison University welcomes four sculpture artists—Sam Blanchard, Dan Carlson, Martha Burgess and PLAKOOKEE—for a group exhibition titled Spaces Places Things, which will be on display at Duke Hall Gallery from February 27-March 31, 2018.

According to John Ros, director of the Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, the exhibition presents sculpture in a “more spatial and active way.” The artists ask viewers to become participants—to contemplate multilayered aspects of the space they occupy and the objects that share that space. “The gallery will hum, flicker and plot with activity, prompting visitors to acknowledge their space and navigate beyond the ordinary,” adds Ros.

Sam Blanchard utilizes digital-based fabrication methods to interweave materials with technology platforms to become extended metaphors of human experience in the age of ubiquitous computer interaction. He is assistant professor of studio art in Virginia Tech’s School of Visual Arts. samblanchard.com

Dan Carlson is a JMU alum whose sculptures, installations, videos and drawings have been shown across the country in private galleries, contemporary art fairs, and alternative art spaces. Carlson lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he has a studio and also works as a fabrication freelancer for other artists and restaurants. dancarlson.org

Martha Burgess is a New-York-based artist and Guggenheim Fellow who creates sculptures, installations, videos and performances by observing, deciphering and subverting representations and meanings in a shifting, fluid culture. Burgess often restages experiences while blending the collective and the personal, the complex and the minimal. marthaburgess.com

PLAKOOKEE is a D.C.-based collaboration between Justin Plakas and Rachel Debuque, artists and designers who combine traditional photography and sculpture with performance and new media work. The two often incorporate synthetic and man-made materials in bold colors and patterns that push the boundaries of color, space and form utilizing a digital approach. Plakas teaches in the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at the George Washington University, and Dubuque teaches in the School of Art at George Mason University. plakookee.com

Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art aims to present the highest level of fine art experiences, to create an active space for robust discourse of vital issues facing our society, and to be a visionary leader of fine arts for all.